Automatic former for bricks.



No. 663,688. A Patented Dec. ll, I900;

R. H. STALEY.

AUTOMATIC FORMER FOR BRICKS.

(Application filed. Jan. 25, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

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No. 663,688. Patented. Dec. I900.

n. H. STALEY.

AUTOMATIC FORMER FOR BRICKS.

(Application filed Jain. 25, 1898.)

(No 'lllodeh) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES. lNVENTOfi @ML. y I I A HORNE-2's;

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EEICE.

RALEIGH H. STALEY, OF SPRINGFIELQILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC FORMER FOR BRICKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,688, dated December 11, 1900.

Application filed January 25,1898. Serial No. 667,375. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RALEIGH H. STALEY, of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Formerfor Bricks, of which the following is a specification.

The corners of street-paving bricks often require to be rounded. My improved machine is adapted to form or shape the end corners or edges, as wellas the longitudinal angles, of bricks in this fashion. Said machine is in practice arranged between the machine which forms the clay into a continuous bar and the machine which afterward divides or cuts such bar into bricks of the desired length.

In my improvement two die-wheels are arranged opposite each other, and the bar of clay passing from the brick-machine proper to the cutter is acted on not only by such diewheels, but by dies proper arranged slidably within the latter and which are automatically projected therefrom at regularintervals by means of cams or hammers actuated by mechanism hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, two sheets, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is in part a plan view and in part a horizontal section of the machine. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a detail section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4:, Sheet 2, is a detail section illustrating the coaction of the cam-wheel and wipers attached to the die-hammers. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of the rim of one of the die-wheels.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two die-wheels A are arranged in the same horizontal plane,with their rims 2 separated bya space having the width of the bar of clay which passes between them to the cutting-machine, (not shown,) by which it is divided into lengths suitable to form bricks. The said die-wheels 1 are mounted on vertical shafts 3, having their to guide the clay bar and preserve the round form of the longitudinal edges or angles of the same. Each wheel 1 is provided with a. series 1 are secured to the peripheries 2 of the wheels 1. These springs 11 hold-the dies 8 normally retracted, and the latter are successively forced outward and projected from the diewheels 1, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to act on the clay bar by means of wipers or hammers 12, which are arranged to work within the V peripheries of the respective die-wheels. The hammers 12 are forced suddenly and automatically into contact with the dies 8 by the following-described means: Each hammer proper, 12, has a vertical shank or bar 13 arranged vertically and adapted to slide on the parallel horizontal rod 14 and shaft 15, which thus serve as guides for the same. The shaft 15 rotates in bearings in the frame-uprights 16. The rod 14 is held in such uprights 16 and secured by nuts 17 on its threaded. ends.

Between each such fixed upright 16 and the adjacent Wiper or hammer 12 is arranged a spring 18, which is coiled about. the rod 14 and whose compression and tension may be adjusted by means of nuts 19 and washers 20, applied to the rod 14, adjacent to the uprights 16. The said springs 18 are held constantly under strong tension, and hence normally tend to force the hammers 12 forward-t e, toward each other-which is done at intervals or four times in each revolution of the diewheels 1.

The means for holding the hammers 12 retracted and for automatically releasing them to allow delivery of a blow on the dies 8 consists, primarily, of a rotary cam-wheel 21, which is fixed vertically on the aforesaid shaft and whose irregular periphery works at its lower side-'between'steel wear-plates 22, that form fixed attachments of the tubular extensions orguide-arms 12 of the hammers proper,

12, and slide on the rod 14, as shown.

a transverse notch havingrounded adjacent sides, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The concave form of the peripheries-2 of the die-wheels A serves to shape the longitudinal edges of the clay bar and also to preventthe clay displaced by the dies which penetrate the clay bar from swelling out the corners of the same. In other words, the clay is distributed more evenly throughoutthe brickbar. Thus the bricks ultimately produced are rounded at. their top end edges and also along their side edges simultaneously,and the transverse notches formed in the clay bar coincide with the points where thecutter subsequently acts to sever the bar into bricks.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4:, Sheet 2, the camwheel 21 has a series of lateral projections or cams proper which are triangular in shape and whose longer inclined sides work'in frictional contact with the correspondingly-inclined edges of the wipers or wear-plates 22.

It is apparent the cams will gradually force back the wipers and the hammers 12 attached thereto until the wipers clear the acute angles of the cams, when they shoot inward toward the body of the cam-wheel, thereby allowing the hammers to deliver their blow on the dies 8.

As shown in Fig. 1, the clay bar is supported and carried between-the die-wheel A by a v traveling belt 23, which is in practice endless and arranged on drums or pulleys. For the purpose of supporting the belt 23 where required I employ a horizontal plate or table 24,.

which may be adjusted vertically, as required, to adapt it to belts or" different thicknesses.

The adjustment is efiected by set-screws 25,

which work in a bracket 26, forming an attachment of the frame 4.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for forming or shaping bricks from a continuous bar of clay, the combination with the mill. from which said bar is forced out, of a die-wheel arranged to guide the clay bar, and having one or more slots in its periphery, and a die-block adapted to Work in such slot, to act on the clay bar, and means asses a for forcing out the die-block at regular intervals, substantially as shown and-described.

2. In a machine for forming or shaping bricks from a continuous bar of clay, the combination with the mill from which the said bar is forced out, of die-wheels, arranged diametrically opposite, and at a distance apart corresponding substantially to the thickness of the clay bar, and provided with radial slots, die-blocks adapted to slide in such slots, and shaped to set on the clay bar as specified, and means for-automatically forcing out such dieblocks interm ittently, as shown and described.

3. In a machine for forming or shaping bricks from a continuous bar of clay, the combination with a rotatable die-wheel, havinga radially-slotted periphery, and aseries of dieblocks adaptedto slide in the radial slots in the periphery of such wheel, and shaped to notch the clay bar on'which'theyact, means for normally retracting the dies, and. automatic means for. forcingthem suddenly and intermittently outward, asthe wheel rotates, as shown and described.

I 4:. In a machine for forming or shaping bricks, the combination witha die-wheel having peripheral. guide-slots, of dies arranged to slide therein 1 and having a ribbed face, springs for retracting the dies, wipers or hammers arranged to act on saiddies, and spring and cam: mechanism for actuating the hammers, suddenlyand intermittently, to cause them togive a sudden blow on-the dies successively, substantially as shown and described.

5.-In a machine for forming or shaping bricks, the combination with a die-wheel hav' ing peripheral slots, dies working slidably therein, springs for retracting the dies, cams or hammers adapted tov slidehorizontally'on fixed guides, springs which act on said ham mers, to alternately force them apart andallowthem tostrike sudden blows on the dies,

other,dies workingslidably in the peripheries of the same, hammers pendent within the die-wheels and-adapted to slide inla straight line toward and from each other, the parallel rod and i rotary shaft arranged' horizontally,

on which said hammers are arranged to slide, spiral springs: coiled about-said :rod and compressed between the .hammer and a fixed por- IIO tion ofthe frame, and a cam fiXed2on1the rotary shaft, and actingsim ultaneously on both hammers,- as shown 'and described:

RALEIGH H. STALEYL Witnesses:

JOSEPH S. THOMPSON, R. E..HAMBAUGH;- 

